DIY Wands

These DIY wands are so easy to make. All you need is:

-Chopsticks

-Glue guns

-Glue for your glue guns

We also had foam blocks to be able to stick the chopsticks in while cooling off.

All you have to do is draw a cool design on the big end of the chopstick with a glue gun to form the wand's handle. Then, after the wand dries, you can either paint or color the wands. We used crayons when coloring because it wasn't as messy as paint or markers.

However, the first time we saw this done was at an event where they let the kids paint their wands and that was fun, too. Paint definitely covers the wand better, but having that kind of mess is not always doable.

Our favorite designs were small dots, spirals, tear-drop shapes, etc.

This is great for a fairy party, Harry Potter party, magic party, etc.

DIY Pool Noodle Horse

So we needed a horse for a costume and we needed one quick.

Of course I went straight to the internet to see if I could find some do it yourself awesomeness that could help us whip up a horse.

What I found were the cutest pool noodle horses. And everyone was making them differently. Some were using hot glue, some were tying the mane on in more of a weave style. Everyone had their own flare to add.

Not having much time, I grabbed a pool noodle that we already had and did the following:

1) I cut 3 pieces of  ribbon and a square of felt.

• The first piece of ribbon was to tie the "snout" down to the body of the horse. I didn't glue this down or anything, and it hardly budged. However you could secure the ribbon down if you wanted to.
• The second piece of ribbon was to tie the square of felt down to the body to create a saddle. Again, I didn't glue this down, though you definitely could if you wanted to.
• The third piece of ribbon was to tie around the neck (over the first ribbon) to help create the reigns.

2) I cut a large piece of a different color of ribbon.

• This ribbon will be the "mane," so you need to make it however long you want the mane to be. To create the mane I simply used it to tie a knot on the top of the horse's head and then created loops with the rest of the ribbon, knotting each loop. The result was a cascade of knots down the back of the neck, with a loop attached to each one.

3) I glued two googly eyes onto the horse.

• This is the only thing I glued onto the horse, which meant that I could take the horse apart easily. If you make this horse and want to secure the ribbons down, let me know how it goes!

We got so many compliments on this horse. And it had plenty of use! It was ridden all over the Halloween celebrations and trick-or-treating.

Chic Pumpkin Design

Looking for a chic, easy pumpkin design for your decorative gourds this year?

To make this pumpkin, all I had to do was paint the pumpkin pink, make decorative swirls and a leaf at the top with black paint, and paint the stem black.

Then, last but not least, I picked a sentence or two out of a classic book (Pride and Prejudice, I believe. Then I painted the words around the pumpkin. Next time I might try using a sharpie, but this look turned out nicely too.

Some people do this same thing with white and black colors, which also looks really nice. This type of design gives your Halloween an elegant twist.

What book would you quote on your pumpkin?

Easy, Cheap Costumes for Girls with Doll

Halloween is right around the corner! If you are looking for an easy, cheap costume for a little girl, then look no further! It's exciting for the little girl because she also gets to carry around her doll!

Chances are you may have an old baby costume (or you could probably easily borrow one) from years ago when your children were tiny tots.

If you have one of these costumes and a doll that will fit inside of it, then great! Take, for example, this doll in a baby pumpkin costume.

Then, depending on what the doll's costume is, match the child's costume to fit. 

We found ourselves in  need of a quick, last minute pumpkin costume. So we had the above "pumpkin baby" and then made the child's costume into the rest of the pumpkin patch. Green and brown clothes clothes (we also used a white tutu for sparkle) worked perfectly.

Then we made this pumpkin vine "apron" by painting strips of cardboard in different shades of green and adding painted construction paper leaves and tissue paper yellow flowers. We then threaded the cardboard onto a shoe string to tie around the child's waist.

It worked pretty well, except that we lost a few vines in the couple hours it was worn. Plus, keep the apron to the front of the child or else it is hard to sit down. If you didn't make this, just wearing something green would work.

For a final touch we put this cloth pumpkin that we already had on a couple of hairbands that we already had. 

It was a fun costume, primarily because a doll was involved. And our pumpkin theme was aced!

If you have a baby ladybug costume, consider making a cardboard leaf for the child to wear. Or if the baby costume is an animal, have the child be a zoo-keeper, vet, or dog-walker. You get the idea. The possibilities are endless!

Easy Homemade Butter

Every year on pioneer day we make our own homemade butter. All it takes is one ingredient and a little bit of muscle. In no time you'll be feeling like a regular Laura Ingalls.

Ingredients: 

• Heavy Whipping Cream

Yep, that's it! At least for the basic butter. After the butter is done you can then add salt or garlic bread seasoning or sugar with cinnamon or honey or whatever your taste buds desire. But for now, all you need is heavy whipping cream.

Directions:

1. Place whipping cream in tight container. 

This year we used washed out peanut butter jars. We once went to an activity where they gave all of the kids their own film canister-sized container filled with cream. Which was the perfect size to butter one or two rolls. It was a very cute idea!

Don't forget to tightly seal the jars!

2. Shake. 

The more cream you have, the longer it will take.

3. Continue to shake.

Part of the way through you will think you are done, but you won't be. When you first hear the shaking sound stop, you will have whipped cream. Which, while cool, is not butter. Keep going! Eventually the shaking sounds will come back.



4. Separate the butter from the buttermilk.

Once your butter is done, it will be sitting in a liquid called buttermilk. You need to separate the butter from the buttermilk. We poured the butter into a strainer and voila! Separation Complete!

5. Now you have butter! And Buttermilk! Congratulations!